Peer-reviewed article
Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Late Preterm Children: A Pilot Study on the Role of Early Nutrition.
Augusto Biasini, Francesca Agostini, Marcello Stella, Elisa Mariani, Laura Malaigia et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined cognitive and emotional development in children born late preterm (at 8-12 years old) and investigated whether early nutrition, particularly breastfeeding, affected their outcomes. Researchers tested cognitive ability using standardized intelligence scales and gathered information about children's behavior and growth from parents and doctors. Children who received human milk or formula milk performed better cognitively than those who received mixed feeding, and early feeding patterns helped predict cognitive development.
Key points
- Late preterm children are often excluded from follow-up programs despite being at risk for mild neurodevelopmental issues
- Children fed human or formula milk scored higher on cognitive tests than those in the mixed milk feeding group
- High maternal perception of externalizing difficulties was associated with lower cognitive development
- Low paternal perception of externalizing difficulties was associated with better cognitive outcomes
- The study suggests breastfeeding should be encouraged as a protective factor for late preterm children's development
Limitations
This is a pilot study with unclear sample size and no comparison group with term-born children, making it difficult to establish whether observed outcomes are specific to late preterm birth or represent general population variation. The cross-sectional design at 8-12 years old cannot determine causality or rule out confounding factors that influenced both feeding choices and development.
Abstract
Background: Late preterm delivery accounts for approximately 5% of all births. Although there is a growing body of literature recognizing that children born late preterm are at risk for mild neurodevelopmental issues, these children are often excluded from follow-up programs. From a preventive perspective, it could be useful to promote protective factors for child development. Among these, human milk feeding is highly recommended due to its advantages for child health and development. However, there is limited research on the complex interactions between late preterm birth, human milk feeding, and subsequent cognitive and emotional development. This paper aims to explore these interactions. Methods: This study focuses on late preterm children aged 8 to 12 years who are attending school. A trained psychologist conducted assessments of cognitive development using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III). Additionally, the family pediatrician gathered neonatal and current growth data, while parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist 6-18 (CBCL) regarding their child's emotional and behavioral profile. Results: A significant impact of early nutrition on children's cognitive development was observed, with those fed human or formula milk scoring higher than those in the mixed milk group. Additionally, early feeding, high maternal and low paternal perception of externalizing difficulties significantly predicted children's cognitive development. Conclusions: The study suggests the potential role of early nutrition and externalizing difficulties in the cognitive development of late preterm children at school age. Therefore, the inclusion of protective factors such as breastfeeding should be encouraged in future research.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Provision of human milk or formula milk during early infancy to late preterm children
- Population
- Late preterm children aged 8 to 12 years attending school
Key finding
Children fed human milk or formula milk scored significantly higher on cognitive development tests than those receiving mixed milk feeding
Biasini et al. · PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) · 14 Nov 2025